What Gets Measured Gets Done

As I continue to get caught up with my goals of 12 books pertaining to my professional development over the course of the 12 months since SQL Cruise Alaska 2011 I’m here with book #3: Strength Finders 2.0. This is the book Buck Woody (blog|twitter) had as a pre-cruise reading requirement. It’s not so much a book though as a test that comes with a Rosetta Stone that is shaped like a book. After taking a 3,000 question test you are given five traits based upon your answers to the questions. It was a beguiling test; one of the most frustrating I’ve ever taken because you were given a “situation” and there were a spectrum of answers. You had a very limited time to choose the best answer that fits your response and most of the time I was comfortable with either ends of the spectrum of answers.

In the end I was identified with the following five Strengths:

Intellection

I like to think and thrive on mental activity. I think this is a direct hit. I remember when I used to be able to sit on a couch and watch television without doing anything else. I find that to be an impossibility now. It’s sad, because I miss being able to turn off my brain. At the same time it’s a strength. I enjoy being challenged by life. I enjoy coming up with creative solutions to those challenges. I just need to learn how to work towards a healthy balance. This can really be an issue for someone like me who works remote. The hardest thing I find in that arrangement is turning off the lights in the office at night and going home. The other issue with Intellection is that it simply refers to the fact I like to think. It doesn’t mean that thinking is focused. Yep, if I remember correctly the majority of those taking the test for SQL Cruise had this strength in their results. Typical A.D.D. geeks. Silly folk, now if you’ll excuse me I’ll get back to you after I get caught up with the 16 outstanding Words with Friends games I have going on my iPad.

Input

Input is a nice way of saying Hoarder. According to the author this strength is associated with collecting things. Things may be physical, but more often than not it is esoteric – think information. This strength is associated with voracious readers in that they read to collect information; once collected don’t expect us to get rid of it. No, I don’t have newspapers stacked in the back of my car going back to 1973. No, I don’t save all my nail clippings and I don’t have any issues with tossing junk mail. I’m definitely a junior varsity hoarder – specializing in data collection for potential later use. I do have an issue with laptop stickers though – can’t get enough of them.

Lets see so far I’m a scatter-brained hoarder or a heavy thinking wealth of information.

Futuristic

Many of the questions from the test focused on thinking forward or thinking in the past. I thought it was very odd but it was probably trying to dial in on this specific strength. According to the book this trait ending up in my test results means I tend to look towards the future when present situations prove to be “too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic.” The phrase “wouldn’t it be cool too…” is one that I tend to embrace. Heck, just look at SQL Cruise as an indicator that this trait is on the mark.

So that means I’m a scatter-brained hoarder who doesn’t focus on what’s happening or a heavy thinking wealth of information who always look towards the future.

Positivty

I see the best in life. I inject humor and fun in things I do. I seek to lift up those around me with praise. I’m quick to smile and am enthusiastic. At least that is what I’m associated with because of this trait. You be the judge. Again, I think that’s a home run there, but then again I could just be looking on the bright side of life… badump, badump, badump, badump.

I’ve now moved on to being eithera scatter-brained hoarder who doesn’t focus on what’s happening and clowns around all day and night or a heavy thinking wealth of information who always look towards the future and is quick to praise.

Significance

I want to be significant in the eyes of all and I also want to be associated significant people even if that means I need to elevate them to significance. Wow do I sound like an attention whore! I can’t say I’m a huge fan of this trait until I read further into the description and focused in on this line: “An independent spirt, you want your work to be a way of life rather than a job and in that work you want to be given free reign, the leeway to do things your way.” This means my life is a series of goals and achievements I crave. This not only explains my business and professional life. It also explains my addiction to Halo apparently as well.

Ah, so that’s it I’m something between aa scatter-brained hoarder who doesn’t focus on what’s happening and clowns around all day and night while fighting for the spotlight or a heavy thinking wealth of information who always look towards the future and is quick to praise while always looking to hit the next goal?

While it was interesting, and more accurate than I’d tend to attribute to an off-the-shelf test/book, I found the value to come in it’s fuel for the discussion within the session on SQL Cruise. Looking back after five months while reviewing the book for this post I realize now just how much these five traits do describe me. Then again this is the same hook that gets you when you visit a psychic – you get just enough information that you begin to read more into the fortune than is read to you by the psychic. What do you think? Those who know me – these seem appropriate? Those who took the test I’d be interested to hear what your results were. Care to share?